Aston Villa enjoyed plenty of success in the transfer market last summer as Unai Emery managed to lure players such as Pau Torres, Moussa Diaby and Youri Tielemans to the Midlands.
With Villa Park playing host to Champions League football next season, it is clear that the Spaniard will have to add several high-class players to his team if they stand a decent chance of progression in the competition, while also maintaining their performances in the Premier League.
Emery may have to sell a few players before any blockbuster moves are made this summer, but that’s not to say he doesn’t have his eye on a few potential additions…
Aston Villa transfer news
According to French outlet L’Equipe, Villa have reportedly joined the race to sign centre-back Jean-Clair Todibo this summer, although they face some stiff competition.
Manchester United, Napoli and Atlético Madrid are all teams who could reignite their interest in the Frenchman ahead of making a concrete move for his signature.
His future looked like it would lie away from OGC Nice last summer as plenty of teams were admirers of his abilities, but he chose to remain in Ligue 1.
In January, even Chelsea were keen on bringing him to the Premier League as it looked like a fee of around £52m would be enough for Nice to part ways with one of their prized assets – although the suggestion is he could now be available for close to €25m (£21m), as per L'Equipe.
There is no doubt Emery is keen to add another defender or two to his playing squad this summer, with one player being talked about for an exit – Diego Carlos.
Why Diego Carlos’ future is uncertain at Aston Villa
Last month, the Telegraph reported that Emery would be willing to sell Carlos during the upcoming summer transfer window in a bid to get his staggering £100k-per-week wages off the bill.
While the club have secured a financial windfall due to qualifying for Europe’s premier club competition, complying with financial fair play rules means the Spaniard will have to sell this summer.
Serie A side AC Milan have shown an interest in the Brazilian of late as they seek improvements to their backline. With a contract at Villa until 2026, Emery is in a fine position to command a solid fee for the former Sevilla titan.
Steven Gerrard splashed out £26m to bring him to England in 2022, yet he suffered a serious Achilles tendon injury on just his second start, thus missing the majority of the campaign.
He recovered to play a solid role under Emery during the 2023/24 season, making 38 appearances in all competitions, yet only 28 came in the starting XI as the manager tinkered with his defensive pairings quite often.
Metric
Carlos
Todibo
Pass success rate
88%
90%
Total duels won per game
2
4.4
Fouls committed per game
1
0.8
Touches per game
56.9
95
Balls recovered per game
2.9
7.1
In the top flight, Carlos finished the season with an 88% pass success rate while losing possession just 6.3 times per game, although he won only two total duels per game – a success rate of just 45% – during the campaign.
The 31-year-old could be moved on this summer before he begins to decline as a player and this could allow Emery to make a move for Todibo, who is seven years younger.
Why Aston Villa should sign Jean-Clair Todibo
In 2022, U23 scout Antonio Mango lauded Todibo, who was just coming through at Nice, describing him as a “Rolls Royce of a CB" who's "very comfortable on the ball and likes to begin phrases of play.” These qualities could play into Emery’s hands rather nicely.
Last season, the Frenchman continued his rapid trajectory to the top of the game by delivering consistently solid performances for Nice as they secured a fifth-place finish, qualifying them for the Europa League next term.
The defender showed how comfortable he is on the ball by averaging 95 touches per game, while finishing the season with a stunning 90% pass success rate.
Defensively, Todibo won 4.4 total duels per game – a success rate of 59% – while also committing just 0.8 fouls, making 1.9 tackles and recovering 7.1 balls per game, further evidence of how excellent he was at the heart of the Nice defence last season.
These displays have certainly caught the eye of several European heavyweights such as Man United and Atlético, but Villa can lay claim to having a genuine chance of making a move for the 24-year-old this summer.
While he is arguably one of the finest defenders in the French top flight, his statistics from the previous 12 months rank him highly when compared to fellow defensive contemporaries on the continent.
Indeed, when compared to his positional peers in Europe’s top five leagues, Todibo currently ranks in the top 4% for passes attempted per 90 (84.43), the top 4% for successful take-ons per 90 (0.54) and the top 9% for shot-creating actions per 90 (1.43), proving that not only is he excellent defensively, but his attacking stats have also been wonderful across the previous 365 days.
This suggests that Todibo could offer both attacking and defensive qualities to a Villa side that is set to compete at Europe’s top table for the first time in the Premier League era.
Selling Carlos could be the catalyst for the manager to make a more concrete move for the French sensation. Not only will Villa bring in a decent fee for the 31-year-old, but freeing up his £100k-per-week wage will give Emery some financial flexibility.
The Midlands side could make a huge statement of intent by fending off the likes of United and Napoli in signing the 24-year-old this summer, with the chance to play in the Champions League looking like it could be a game-changer.
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